Tree-Finders Guide - Scientists in School

Name: _______________________________
Coniferous Trees
6-13 cm
Eastern White Pine
I have soft needles in clusters of five.
8-20 cm
Red Pine
10-15 cm
I have stiff needles in clusters of two.
4-6 cm
Scots Pine
I have stiff needles that look
twisted and are in clusters of two.
3-7 cm
© Scientists in School 2011
4-6 cm
Coniferous Trees
White Spruce
I have short, single needles that form cylinders
around my twigs. Each of my needles feels
four-sided.
5 cm
Blue Spruce
People often plant me because of my pretty
blue colour. I have short, single needles that
form cylinders around my twigs.
Be careful - my needles are very sharp!
Norway Spruce
I have short, single needles that form
cylinders around my twigs. Each of my needles
feels four-sided and my branches are droopy.
© Scientists in School 2011
Coniferous Trees
Eastern White Cedar
1 cm
I have needles that are overlapping
scales. My tiny cones are found
in clusters.
Hemlock
2 cm
Coniferous trees contain
their seeds in cones and
have needles as their
leaves.
© Scientists in School 2011
I have single, short needles with a
white line on the underside and
flattened branches.
Deciduous trees shed
their leaves at the end of
the growing season.
Deciduous Trees – with opposite branching and leaves
Sugar Maple
My leaves have three lobes and are
U-shaped in between. When you split
a leaf stem, my sap is clear.
Norway Maple
My leaves have 5 major lobes. When
you split a leaf stem, my sap is milky.
Red Maple
My leaves are v-shaped and very
toothed between the lobes.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees – with opposite branching and leaves
Silver Maple
My leaves are green above, silvery
underneath and v-shaped between the
lobes.
Ash-leaf Maple
I am the only species of maple with
compound leaves. Each leaf has 3-7
light green leaflets with wavy edges.
The best sap for
maple syrup comes
from the sugar
maple!
Maple is a common
name for trees under
the genus Acer. Acer is
a latin word that means
sharp.
The maple leaf has
been adapted as the
national arboreal
emblem of Canada.
The seeds of maple trees
are called keys. They
resemble helicopters as
they fall. Throw one up in
the air - it’s fun!
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with opposite branching and leaves
White Ash
I have compound leaves with 7 dark
green leaflets. When I am older, my
bark has a diamond pattern.
Dogwood
I am a shrub. My leaves have
smooth edges and curved veins. My
twigs are usually red.
Horse Chestnut
I have compound leaves shaped like a
hand. In the fall I produce chestnuts
for the squirrels to eat.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branching and leaves
Trembling Aspen
I have small, almost round leaves that
tremble in the wind. This is because
they are attached by a very long
stem, called a petiole.
Large-toothed Aspen
I have large, round leaves with teeth
that are widely spaced.
Cottonwood
I have wide, shiny, triangular leaves
with small wavy teeth.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branching and leaves
Balsam Poplar
Like my cousin the Cottonwood, I
have triangular leaves. My leaves are
a thinner triangle than the
Cottonwood’s.
The seeds of cottonwoods are
borne on cottony structures
that allow them to be blown long
distances in the air before
settling to the ground.
My friends and I love
to use Poplar trees for
our lodges.
© Scientists in School 2011
The majority of
wooden baseball bats
and boat oars are
made from white ash.
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branching and leaves
Red Oak
My leaves have lobes with pointed
tips. Like all oaks, my seed is an
acorn.
White Oak
My leaves have lobes with rounded
tips.
Burr Oak
My leaves have lobes with rounded
tips and a very narrow base. My
acorns have a cap that covers half of
the acorn.
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Deciduous Trees - with alternate branches and leaves
Elm
My leaves are rough with parallel
veins and usually unsymmetrical.
Ironwood
I have soft leaves arranged in two
rows along my twigs. My bark looks
stringy.
American Beech
My leaves are stiff with long with
pointed tips and veins which run in
parallel lines. I have smooth, lightgrey bark. My trunk looks like an
elephant’s leg.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branches and leaves
White Birch
My leaves are dark green above and
finely toothed. My seeds form in
clusters. My bark is white and has
loose layers.
Basswood
I have large heart-shaped leaves with
a lop-sided base. My seeds are
attached to a papery wing to help them
travel.
Choke Cherry
I am a shrub! My leaves have a wider
section just above the middle. The
birds like to eat my red berries.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branches and leaves
Black Cherry
My leaves are shiny and dark green
with a fine-toothed edge. My bark is
black and in flaky squares.
Hawthorn
My leaves have a v-shape between the
lobes and are sharply-toothed. Don’t
hug me! I have thorns on my
branches.
Gingko
My leaf is fan-shaped with a wavy
edge. I am originally from China and
hold the record for the oldest fossil
from a deciduous tree.
© Scientists in School 2011
Deciduous Trees - with alternate branches and leaves
Weeping Willow
I have long narrow leaves and
drooping branches that give me a
weeping appearance.
Black Willow
I have long narrow leaves that are
shiny green above and paler
underneath. When I’m older my bark
is deeply furrowed.
I never knew trees
were so cool!
© Scientists in School 2011